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DOUGHRISEFOUNDERS
Baking Tips
5 min read
Caramelised Leek & Gruyère Sourdough Flatbread
A winter sourdough flatbread recipe topped with sweet caramelised leeks and melted Gruyère. Simple, stunning, and ready to become a cold-weather staple.
Overhead view of a table set with gourmet dishes.February is the kind of month that calls for proper comfort food, and this sourdough flatbread recipe is exactly that. Topped with slow-cooked caramelised leeks and nutty, melted Gruyère, it sits somewhere between a pizza and a tart, and it is genuinely one of the most satisfying things you can pull out of a hot oven on a cold Sunday afternoon. The sourdough base gives it this subtle tang and chew that you just cannot get from a yeasted dough, and the whole thing comes together without any of the stress of shaping a boule.
Why Flatbread Works So Well With Sourdough
One thing I love about flatbreads is that they are forgiving in a way that a full tin loaf or a scored boule simply is not. There is no tight shaping, no worrying about ear development. You stretch the dough out, load it up with toppings, and bake it hot. The sourdough fermentation still does its work though, giving you a base with real flavour and a slightly open crumb underneath all that cheese. If you have been baking sourdough bread for a while and fancy a change, this is a brilliant way to use your starter.
Speaking of which, if you are working with a starter that has been sitting in the back of your fridge since before Christmas, give it a couple of feeds before you bake this. A lively, bubbly starter makes a noticeable difference to the texture of the base. If you are just getting started with sourdough, the Classic Sourdough Starter from DoughRise is a solid foundation and it is ready to go much faster than you might expect.
The Toppings
Leeks in February are at their best. Sweet, soft, and deeply savoury once they have had time in the pan, they work brilliantly with the saltiness of Gruyère. Do not rush the caramelisation here. Low heat, a bit of butter, and about 25 minutes is what gets you from raw leeks to something silky and golden. I usually put a record on and let them do their thing while the dough is doing its final rest.
Ingredients
For the Sourdough Flatbread Dough
- 350g (about 2¾ cups) strong white bread flour
- 230g (just under 1 cup) warm water
- 80g (roughly ⅓ cup) active sourdough starter, fed and bubbly
- 7g (1¼ tsp) fine sea salt
- 15g (1 tbsp) olive oil, plus extra for the tray
For the Caramelised Leek Topping
- 3 medium leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced into thin rounds
- 25g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves (or ½ tsp dried)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar or a small splash of dry white wine
To Finish
- 120g Gruyère, coarsely grated
- A small handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- Flaky sea salt for finishing
Method
- Mix the dough. In a large bowl, combine the flour, water, active sourdough starter, and olive oil. Mix until no dry flour remains, then cover and leave to rest for 30 minutes. After resting, sprinkle in the salt, and squeeze it through the dough with your fingers until fully incorporated. Cover again.
- Bulk ferment. Leave the dough at room temperature for around 4 to 5 hours, performing 3 sets of stretch and folds in the first 90 minutes (one set every 30 minutes). In a cool February kitchen you may need the full 5 hours. Look for the dough to feel noticeably lighter and slightly domed, with some visible bubbles at the edges.
- Divide and rest. Turn the dough out onto a lightly oiled surface and divide it into two equal pieces. Shape each piece loosely into a ball, cover with a damp cloth, and leave to rest for 30 minutes. This rest makes stretching much easier.
- Caramelise the leeks. While the dough rests, melt the butter and olive oil together in a wide, heavy-based pan over a low-medium heat. Add the sliced leeks and a pinch of salt. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes until soft and golden. Add the thyme, a splash of vinegar or wine, and some black pepper. Cook for another 2 minutes, then take off the heat and leave to cool slightly.
- Preheat your oven. Set it to 250°C (230°C fan) or as hot as it will go. If you have a baking stone or steel, put it in now. If not, place a heavy baking tray in the oven to heat up.
- Stretch the flatbreads. On a lightly floured surface, use your hands to stretch each dough ball into a rough oval or rectangle, around 30 by 20 centimetres. It does not need to be perfect. Transfer each one to a sheet of baking parchment.
- Top and bake. Divide the caramelised leeks between the two flatbreads, spreading them evenly and leaving a small border around the edge. Scatter over the grated Gruyère. Slide onto your hot stone or tray and bake for 16 to 20 minutes, until the edges are deeply golden and the cheese is bubbling and starting to catch in places.
- Finish and serve. Scatter over the fresh parsley and a pinch of flaky sea salt. Eat straight away, ideally with a glass of something cold and fizzy.
Baker's Tips
- Do not skip the hot tray. Baking the flatbread on a preheated surface is the single biggest thing you can do to get a properly cooked base. A cold tray going into the oven is one of the main reasons flatbreads turn out soft and pale underneath rather than crisp and golden.
- Cold kitchen? Give it more time. February kitchens can really slow fermentation down. If your dough feels dense and tight after 4 hours, just leave it longer. Check the edges of the bowl for bubbles and give the dough a gentle poke. If it springs back slowly but still holds an indent, it is ready. Treat it like you would debug code: if the output is wrong, look at the conditions first.
- Make the leeks ahead. The caramelised leeks keep well in the fridge for three days, so you can prep them earlier in the week and assembly on the day becomes very quick. They also work brilliantly in a toasted sandwich, just so you know.
Go Make It
This is the kind of bake that feels a bit special without being remotely difficult, which is exactly what you want in the middle of winter. The sourdough base brings real character to what might otherwise be a pretty simple set of toppings, and the leeks and Gruyère are just a proper combination. Once you have made this once you will find yourself coming back to the flatbread format regularly, swapping in whatever is good at the moment. Enjoy it.
Happy baking! Find everything you need at doughrise.store